It’s my favorite time of month – when the previous month’s NPD numbers are released, and fanboys can be put in their place. August was quite a month with the release of Madden (always a big story), BioShock (how well did it do?), and the release date of Halo 3 just a month away. First, let’s take a look at hardware numbers:

Hardware Unit Sales:

PlayStation 2 202K
PlayStation 3 130.6K
PlayStation Portable 151.2 K
Xbox 360 276.7K
Wii 403.6 K
Nintendo DS 383.3K
GBA 69.5K

The Wii and DS are still extremely high, although both saw a decrease from June. The two systems are just in another world as they continue to demolish the competition. Nintendo has got to be all smiles. (But Nintendo doesn’t plan to cut off the surprises.)

Sony, however, has really got to be nothing short of disappointed. All three of their systems are down, and while it wasn’t the largest drop of the three, 130k PlayStation 3 units is less than half of the Xbox 360’s number this month, and only 50k more than the Game Boy Advance. Yikes. PlayStation Portable’s drop can likely be attributed to the remodeled PSP (PSP Lite – you know you want to call it that, Sony) being on the verge of release.

Lastly, we have the Xbox 360 which saw a boost of 100k units sold – bring it to 270k on the month, which is a tremendous boost. It’s amazing what the release of Madden, combined with Halo 3 on the horizon, can do for a console’s sales, isn’t it?

Software numbers and breakdown can be seen after the break.

Read the full article »

Take-Two Interactive Software has announced that it’s forming a new 2K brand devoted entirely to casual gaming – 2K Play. This will replace Take-Two’s existing Global Star Software brand, thereby absorbing the Carnival Games (Wii) and Deal or No Deal (stupid) franchises, in addition to the developer of Carnival Games, Cat Daddy Games.

What is perhaps the bigger announcement here, though, is that 2K Play will be partnering up with Nickelodeon to publish games based on the Nick Jr. shows Dora the Explorer and Go, Diego, Go! Both shows will see games released this fall, including a Dora the Explorer DS game – and that’s the type of game that’s a surefire seller.

“We welcome our new partnership with 2K Play,” said Shaul Olmert, VP of digital media products for Nickelodeon and MTVN Kids and Family Group. “This is the first time Go, Diego, Go! is coming to handheld and console systems and will mark Dora the Explorer’s debut on the popular Nintendo DS system. We are excited to welcome 2K Play into our growing family of innovative digital products.”

“The 2K Play label targets the growing market of casual gamers interested in accessible, high-quality products,” added Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K Games. “It will be home to games that are fun and engaging for players of varied skill types and ages. Our exciting initiative with Nick Jr. will offer a host of games featuring world-famous brands that appeal to the family-friendly gamer.”

And yes, I called Deal or No Deal stupid.

via 1UP

Apparently, Manhunt 2, the controversial title from Rockstar, has been leaked onto the internet. Several torrent sites seem to have copies of the game available for download, although there has been no official word yet whether these files are the genuine article. The people posting the downloads are claiming they are the original, unedited version (i.e. the one rated “Adults Only” by the ESRB), but that it is also a beta so there may be some issues playing the game. Of course downloading games this way is illegal, not to mention risky if you’re not completely sure of the files you’re getting. Besides which, as Project Manhunt points out, doing so could hamper the chances of a Manhunt 3. And seriously, considering the problems they’ve already had with this game, I think Take Two could use the extra support.

Via Project Manhunt

The Dutch don’t know the meaning of censorship, apparently. What can’t you do there?

There’s a general knowledge that in the Netherlands, they’re pretty relaxed about everything. And when it comes down to banning a violent video game, laws constructed so it can’t even happen.

“Unlike in Britain or Germany, there is no authoritative ratings board or law in the Netherlands banning games purely for violent content,” Justice Minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin, wrote in a statement. “The current law is based on the principle that every adult is considered capable of deciding for himself which games he wants to play, unless it contains illegal material.”

Illegal material would be something along the lines of racist propaganda or pedophilic content.

The only type of law which would apply to sales of Manhunt 2 would be one which bars the sale of violent video games to individuals under the age of 16. Other than that, it appears that adults are considered capable of deciding for themselves in that country, especially adults with children under the age of 16.

Why do I live in America, again?

via pr-inside.com

As Andrew discussed yesterday, California Senator Leland Yee has asked that the ESRB come forward and release the details as to why Manhunt 2’s rating was lowered from Adults Only to Mature.

“Parents can’t trust a rating system that doesn’t even disclose how they come to a particular rating. The ESRB and Rockstar should end this game of secrecy by immediately unveiling what content has been changed to grant the new rating and what correspondence occurred between the ESRB and Rockstar to come to this conclusion. Unfortunately, history shows that we must be quite skeptical of these two entities.

Clearly the ESRB has a conflict of interest in rating these games. It is time to bring transparency to this rating system and for the industry to be held accountable. I join the [Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood] in urging the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the process by which Manhunt 2’s rating was downgraded from AO to M.”

ESRB President Patricia Vance issued a statement in response to the outcry which did very little to address the concerns specifically, and instead explained why the ESRB wouldn’t disclose details.

Read the full article »

Way to go Take-Two, you got the M rating you were shooting for. Now if you can just do something about Senator Leland Yee.

In a press release today, California Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco/San Mateo) stated that he demands an explanation how the “most violent video game ever released” achieved an M rating. This statement alone makes me wonder whether he actually knows what an M rating means.

“Parents can’t trust a rating system that doesn’t even disclose how they come to a particular rating,” Yee said in the press release. “The ESRB and Rockstar should end this game of secrecy by immediately unveiling what content has been changed to grant the new rating and what correspondence occurred between the ESRB and Rockstar to come to this conclusion. Unfortunately, history shows that we must be quite skeptical of these two entities.”

People need to realize that the point isn’t politics of the ESRB, though admittedly it may come up in the future in a reasonable fashion. The point should be that this violent video game is not going to be played by anyone under the age of 17 if parents do their job correctly. People act like they just hand video games out to ten year olds once they’re on the shelves.

Read the full article »

The third episode of Gaming Today’s File-N-Forget podcast broaches the question of when is too much hype a negative to a game’s potential success?

Host Ron Whitaker and guest host Shawn Sines discuss the Bioshock launch. Why Halo 3 is destined to fail and how games like Psychonauts, Crysis and GTA IV figure into the hype machine that is video game marketing and news sites.

We’re working on getting an RSS up and running for those who want to subscribe to the podcast but once you’ve listened, let us know if you think Ron and I are on the mark of just tools of the proletariat looking to foment hate and discontent.

You can download the podcast here.

In an astounding move that shocked the video game industry to its very core, Jack Thompson sat down. Then he wrote a letter.

Surprisingly, yes, it’s not a lawsuit. Thompson complained to the Federal Trade Commission in a written statement, damning the advertising practices of Take-Two Interactive for their upcoming game Bioshock, stating that it was atrocious that they aired commercials for the game during a time slot which suggested high numbers of viewers which were children under 17.

Here’s the excerpt of what Thompson wrote from Gamepolitics.com: Read the full article »

2K Games has announced the release of an exclusive EP for BioShock that has been remixed by Moby and Oscar The Punk. The CD will be bundled with the GameStop and EB Canada Limited Edition of the game, as well be given out as a pre-sale gift from Game Crazy. The EP includes three remixed tracks — Beyond the Sea, God Bless the Child, and Wild Little Sisters — which all appear in their original format in the game. Moby and Oscar The Punk teamed up to remix these songs with BioShock’s atmosphere in mind:

“While these classic songs from the 40’s and 50’s evoke a happier time, they take on an eerie aesthetic in BioShock’s decaying art deco-designed underwater city of Rapture,” said Christoph Hartmann, President of 2K Games. “Moby and Oscar The Punk have captured that disparity with these remixes and added a new spin to these indelible classics.”

Well, crap. If I had known this last week, I probably would’ve pre-ordered the Limited Edition instead of the regular. Of course, once I’m running through an underwater city and blowing up Big Daddies, I’m sure that will be the last thing on my mind.

Irrational Games, the developer behind System Shock 2 as well as BioShock, is no longer known as Irrational Games. The formerly independent studio which had both of their branches acquired by Take-Two Interactive last year under the 2K Games label, will now be known as 2K Australia and 2K Boston.

Take-Two assures everyone that these changes will result in no loss of creative control for the companies. “We’re proud to be part of the 2K Games family and enjoy the new opportunities and artistic freedoms this strengthened relationship provides,” said Irrational president Ken Levine. “The name change signifies our growing position as a central part of 2K Games, and we plan to ensure our future titles continue to set new standards of quality and innovation for the industry.”

Take-Two can say what they want about creative control – everyone knows what eventually happens when a company buys out another one, and the developers “formally known as Irrational” might feel the ax smite them sooner than they think.

Via: Shacknews